Azure Scepter

Page 165

The mind flayer lich Orenroz spoke through the orc's body, his voice cold and deep, like the most precise machine.

“I estimate it will take at least six more days to break through that maze—that is, taking into account that Lord Trier is also helping.”

"Could we consider temporarily removing the troops stationed in the areas we already control?"

"The half-elf military contractor, Seres, suddenly asked, poking at his glasses and then looking at Trier, who had been silent all along."

"The terrifying supernatural phenomena happening there are constantly devouring our soldiers, destroying their spirit and will—I've encountered situations where six men went out on patrol and seven came back, only to find that all seven had actually been replaced by monsters—just yesterday, we lost nearly eighty men, and now some are refusing to go in for rotation."

“No,” Trier said crisply. “Wilt’s underground mirror city is quite special. If no intelligent being is watching over it, it will shift and deflect, and the throne room may move to another place.”

He paused, then said in a deep voice, "The army in the underground city must be kept in place, no matter how great the losses—that's the bottom line."

“Our rotation system and morale are on the verge of collapse.” Seres spoke humbly, but he did not look away. “Your Excellency, I am afraid we cannot withstand this on our own. I suggest that we need to clean up those bizarre creations from the Dream Realm that are lurking in the shadows.”

Trier nodded slightly: "Don't worry about Seres, I have already gathered the nobles of the Southern Duchy, and there will be new forces to replace your subordinates; in addition, the demons can also bear a lot of the pressure."

At this point, he turned to look at the succubus Orianna, who was dressed as a nun.

The succubus was idly studying her nails, and she didn't object.

Trier stood up, his dark eyes slowly sweeping across the room: "Is there anything else to discuss?"

The room fell silent; Trier could even hear the faint sound of the candle wicks burning.

After a long while, the lich Orenroz suddenly spoke.

"When I tried to cast the spell, I encountered a counterattack from something that resembled a burning star. If I didn't fail to predict the outcome, that thing shouldn't be either Losevie or Fusada. In short, we may be facing obstacles from at least three divine beings."

At this moment, Jesmin was completely dumbfounded; she felt somewhat out of place here.

Is this still the world I know?!

What is Losevie? Isn't she the founding monarch of the Kingdom of Orco?

What is the existence of divine power? Have I been fighting against the minions of a god all this time without even realizing it?

What if the gods use their authority to punish me?

“That’s right.” Trier nodded, then pondered for a moment. “But don’t worry, the main way that divine power can threaten you is by taking your life or your life, and I’ve already found a way to block that method—at least everyone here is safe.”

“I can prove it!” Futia suddenly said in a light tone.

Her lighthearted tone, like a summer lime, dispelled the dull and oppressive atmosphere of the entire venue, and everyone subconsciously looked at the elf who had shone brightly in the battle a few days ago.

Futia stood up: "A few days ago, I felt the power of life and death. It felt like I was being pointed at with a spear, as if some kind of predetermined death was about to come with the judgment."

The mind flayer lich Orenroz paused for a moment, then immediately pulled out his notebook and quickly wrote down Frodia's feelings.

This is information about divine power, and considering that it's a narrative of divine power annihilating survivors, this information is even more invaluable!

It snapped its fingers, using the magic trick "Hand of the Wizard" to record the event, while eagerly looking at the elf not far away.

For some reason, the elf left his seat and walked towards Trier.

What is this for?

The lich Orenroz was quite puzzled.

“I thought I was going to die there, but I felt another force shatter the spearhead.” Fythia slowly walked up to Trier, raised her head, and looked at him with a serious expression in her azure eyes. “Trier, I know you saved me.”

"it's me."

Trier wanted to nod, but just as he lowered his head, Fythia suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

The girl's lips were sweet, like berries ripening in early June, refreshing and delightful; but this fleeting kiss carried the girl's feelings to Trier's heart like a silent, flowing stream.

The flickering, dim light illuminated the fine downy fur on the elf's cheeks, and Trier subconsciously recalled the scene when he first saw Fydia after waking up in Beaver Town.

At this moment, the Mind Flayer Lich sitting below was stunned. After hesitating for a moment, it wrote in its notebook: "It turns out that even demigods who have transcended the realm of mortals still have the instinct to reproduce. This can be confirmed by various legends. Based on this, the potential market for the Instinct Release Room is much larger than it is now. We can consider investing in it after returning to the City That Never Sleeps."

Jessmin's eyes twitched, and under the influence of jealousy, even her breathing seemed heavy. She couldn't help but curse her former classmate in her heart.

"How shameless! She should at least find a half-elf, dating a human is just too shameless!" Jasmine's thoughts were in turmoil, she roared inwardly, "Why can she find love? Why can she be a legend? Why!?"

Driven by intense jealousy, Jasmine clenched her fist and punched her husband, Seres, who was standing next to her.

Seres glared at Jasmine in surprise, her eyes seeming to say, "What's wrong with you?"

The succubus Orianna immediately perked up. She opened her eyes wide and looked excitedly at Edith behind Trier. In the flickering candlelight, Trier's shadow enveloped the princess's face.

At this moment, the princess lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and subconsciously clenched her fists before consciously relaxing them.

She had long been aware of this; after all, she was no longer the fool who refused to observe reality and accept the truth.

Edith had thought she could calmly accept sharing love with her best friend, like the water sprite in Sir Caruso's play, but when this scene actually unfolded before her eyes, she still felt a little annoyed, like the damp, sticky mist that rises on a rainy day.

“Clearly, only I had a truly heartfelt and unreserved conversation with Trier…” Edith’s bitterness fermented into a sour feeling.

She subconsciously recalled her ride with Trier through the starry sky, and it was from that moment that she began to realize her mistakes...

To be fair, she had indeed had vague thoughts in the past about taking her relationship with Futia a step further, beyond being just friends. However, seeing the scene before her, the bitterness and sorrow doubled, as if two sharp swords had pierced her heart from both the front and the back at the same time.

I was the one who met Futia first... why did it turn out like this...?

Meanwhile, Noy was hurrying through the corridor to the entrance of the meeting hall. A few tens of minutes earlier, she had suddenly learned some rather urgent news from her aunt—a group of nobles within the duchy were secretly plotting to deal with Trier.

She had originally planned to tell Trier directly through telepathy, but because she was worried about disturbing Trier's train of thought, she decided to float over and tell him in person.

However, when she hurriedly pushed open the door to the venue, she witnessed a scene that caught her off guard and would never be forgotten—in the warm, orange candlelight, Futia was standing on tiptoe, arches of her feet, kissing Trier.

Noi instinctively took two steps back.

Although she had told Trier that she was mentally prepared, it was just a hypocritical statement to please him. When she actually saw her childhood friend, whom she admired and worshipped, kissing Fyodor, she still felt a strong sense of alienation.

“Radiance,” Noi murmured to himself.

A moment later, that alienation turned into desolation, and that desolation turned into an unspeakable shame, a shame that, like a red-hot branding iron, crashed into his spirit.

Noe thought she would be disappointed and angry, but to her own surprise, she actually felt a mixture of pain and excitement.

She closed her eyes, carefully considering her own bizarre and nonsensical thoughts.

No, even excitement is not enough to fully describe my actual feeling; it was a strange joy.

Did the owner forcibly change their mindset?

For some reason, this idea excited her even more. Her slight joy turned into a kind of blissful ecstasy, and she even felt a little dizzy.

Noi opened her eyes and looked at Trier and Fythia again.

Despite her extremely bold behavior, Fythia actually seemed quite shy—she didn't cling to Trier, leaving a small gap between them like the ribs of a church; the orange candlelight, scattered, turned into fragments of blue and pink, passing through that small rib and flowing into her eyes, reminding Noy of stained glass windows in a church.

In a moment, Noy felt as if he saw a sacred church, and a revelation came to his mind as he realized his true thoughts.

At that moment, Noy suddenly realized the sexual fantasies she had suppressed and hidden since she dedicated herself to becoming a nun: perhaps, she was a madwoman who liked pain and being humiliated.

Physical oppression and torment may be intense, but mental anguish is far more intense and prolonged.

Noy pondered these crazy and heretical ideas in silence, then shook his head.

Let's get down to business first.

With this thought in mind, Noi whispered, "Master, some nobles are plotting against you!"

Chapter 317 Public Conspiracy

"Clap."

The flint struck the steel wheel, sending out dazzling sparks that then expanded and burned, engulfing the tinder and turning into a bright flame.

The damp darkness of the riverbank was dispelled by the firelight, revealing Cohen's pale face.

It was mid-July, which is usually the time when mosquitoes are rampant, but at this moment Cohen was surrounded by complete silence, without any mosquitoes, as if the annoying mosquitoes had been driven away by some unknown energy.

“When I was still a mortal, my favorite thing to do was to walk alone along the White Tower River in the dead of night,” Cohen said to himself. “The surroundings were deserted, and the river water was cold and icy. Only at this time could I think calmly and honestly face my own heart.”

"Clap."

With a flick of his wrist, the metal cap of the lighter abruptly extinguished the flame, extinguishing the light and returning darkness and silence to the riverbank.

"What exactly is it that you came to me for?" The next moment, the weak voice of the group rang in Cohen's ears, "Saint-Sel, you didn't come here to talk about life's feelings, did you? Trier could find us at any time, and if we are found out, we're all doomed."

“Don’t be so impatient, my dears,” Cohen, or rather Saint-Sel, said calmly. “As people get older, they inevitably like to reminisce about the past.”

He flicked the flint lighter again, and with a snap, a bright flame reappeared.

"But I also feel afraid when I walk alone. Loneliness can make you clear-headed, but it can also make you suspicious. It's funny, but when I was a young man, I was always wary of shadows whenever I walked alone, as if there were monsters hiding there that would devour me. So I always liked to carry a torch with me. Look at this lighter, a product of the times. It's much more useful than a torch."

The man's tone was somber: "I've taken such a great risk to come here, not to waste time with you—we need to prepare to escape to another dimension, and time is precious."

Saint-Sel stopped, looking down at the unfamiliar reflection in the water. "So, that's the biggest difference between us. You really think you can escape?"

"I am free."

“Heh.” Saint Seir chuckled, raised his head, and continued walking forward. “You are severely injured and extremely weak, and now you are surrounded by wolves, bloodthirsty and desperate. Even if you leave the Prime Material Plane, there are plenty of people and gods who crave divinity and will hunt you down.”

"If you choose to run away, you will be a piece of meat that everyone wants to eat, while a born demigod like you cannot even give up your godhood."

The crowd fell silent. After a long while, it suddenly asked, "What is the biggest difference between you and me that you just mentioned?"

“I was once a mortal, while you were born extraordinary,” Saint-Sel said with a smile. “Therefore, our attitudes toward death are completely different.”

At this point, he suddenly sneered: "Look at you, how pathetic and foolish you are. You have neither a detached attitude towards death nor the courage to fight for it. Your reason tells you that if you don't act, only death awaits you; but in reality, you choose to bury your head in the sand, trying to delay making a decision by escaping."

As if struck on a sore spot, it retorted with a cold laugh, "I may be ridiculous, but you're no less so."

"You deserve much of the blame for our current predicament. In Fusada's words, you've been creating jokes with serious folly. Since you were able to descend to the Material Plane by possessing your offspring, why did you slaughter cities to create avatars?"

“This is what you call taking a gamble.” Saint Seir’s gaze was deep. “I have voluntarily stripped myself of my divinity. Now, I am no different from a mortal.”

"Are you crazy?" the crowd asked incredulously.

“Dragging it out is nothing but waiting to die. Playing along with Trier is a worse option than making a deal with the devil. Do you remember what I just said? My reason tells me that if I don’t act, death is all that awaits me.”

Saint-Sel gently closed the lighter's cap.

“I am different from you. You choose to run away from decisions, while I face death head-on—you, do you have the courage to fight for survival?”

The crowd hesitated.

Since its crushing defeat in the underground city, it has been in a state of panic and uncertainty, knowing that Saint Seir is not trustworthy, but at this moment it only wants to grasp at any straw that can save it.

It hesitated for a moment, then said, “You are committing suicide. Without divine power, you are powerless to fight Trier. Even if you kill Trier, you still can’t do anything to Losevie and Fusada. If you really abandon your divinity, even I can easily kill you now.”

“You’re wrong about that.” Saint Seil looked up at the brilliant stars above. “What determines the final outcome is not simply strength, but will and spirit.”

His tone gradually lowered: "So, everyone, tell me your answer: do you choose to calmly and detachedly accept eternal annihilation, or do you choose to take a desperate gamble?"

Before the other party could answer, Saint-Sel continued, "There's no need to answer now—it won't make a difference if you do. You just need to figure it out when the balance is broken again."

"What do you mean?" the crowd asked hopefully.

"You'll understand when the time comes—you'll stop Fusada, and I'll deal with that old lich Trier."

"Alas, Uncle Cohen did not make it."

Trier sighed in disappointment, then withdrew his will from the "Arcane Eye"—he had just seen Cohen's strange behavior and mutterings.

The time traveler always placed extreme importance on intelligence and information, but because his actions had already seriously affected the course of history, much of the past intelligence has now been distorted and lost.

To maintain his intelligence advantage, Trier had already established a surveillance network covering the entire city before even heading to Wirth.

They then set up a large surveillance network consisting of "Arcane Eyes" throughout the entire city of Wilt.

As an extremely cautious man, Trier had already dispatched a large number of spies and magical surveillance devices to Wilt before arriving in the city. Now the entire city of Wilt is covered by the surveillance network he created, and with the assassination of the Duke, Trier has further strengthened this surveillance network to a frightening degree.

This obsessive behavior ultimately paid off, as Trier directly overheard Saint-Sel and the others' entire conspiracy.

"They conspired in public, that's for sure," Trier thought to himself.

He pondered for a moment, then took out the faceless statue from the dark room and began to try to contact the others.

PS: It's still about the pre-defense issue. I'll probably have a lot of inconsistent updates for about half a month before mid-January. I'm putting off this in advance QWQ. After that, I promise to update twice a day and occasionally add more.

Chapter 318 Situation

"It's over, it's all over! Saint Seil, we're finished!"

Just as Saint-Sel was gazing at his reflection in the water, pondering the possible unexpected events that might occur in the next phase of the plan, the panicked voices of the crowd suddenly rang in his mind once again.

Hearing that bewildered, uneasy, and unsure voice, Saint-Ser felt a deep sense of annoyance. He suppressed his dissatisfaction and then asked, "What are you talking about? What do you mean 'all over'?"

"Trill just contacted me, accusing me of betraying the alliance oath!" the crowd exclaimed excitedly. "Wait, could he be bluffing me...?"

Hearing this, Saint Seir almost laughed. He shook his head and said, "Trying to fool you? Don't dream—Trier isn't stupid. The traces of divine power you left behind are far too obvious. Things have progressed to this point; do you still expect nothing to happen?"

"What should I do?!" the crowd asked anxiously.